A Quarterlife Odyssey in New England

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If you watched last night’s debate, you might have woken up today stressed… scared… mad as hell.

I’ve got the cure for what ails you – and it is GOTV.

GOTV aka Get Out The Vote is the period before an election day when persuasion and identification are done and you shift to getting your supporters to actually cast their ballots. Depending on who you talk to (and your absentee voting regulations) it starts between a month, a week, or a weekend before E-Day. In other words: it’s here. And you should be a part of it.

If you need extra convincing, here are my top 5 arguments in favor of you (yes, you) volunteering before the election:

It’s good for your health. Seriously! We are about to head into winter and overeating, undermoving season (IMHO). What better reason to go for a long walk, clipboard and packet in hand, to truly stretch your legs before you’re cooped inside for months? (Confession: campaign snacks are also fun, especially the chili my mom makes for our local office each cycle.)

You get to work alongside awesome people. Whether its union leaders phone banking by your side or a canvassing buddy who was born before women could vote OR Chelsea Clinton, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Biden, or any of the other dozens of celebs I’ve met on the trail, there are such fun people ready to pound the pavement. All they need is you by their side!

There are still undecided voters. It may be hard to believe in these intense times, but there are still people deciding IF they will even vote. You calling voters or showing up at their door, reminding them of polling hours and locations, could truly be the tipping point that makes them cast a ballot.

It’s the cornerstone of our democracy. This sounds dramatic. IT IS DRAMATIC. It hasn’t been 100 years since all Americans could vote without fear of violence and aggression. Voting – and helping others vote – is a tribute to what this country stands for, and an investment in the future.

You can be confident you did everything you could to secure a victory. I’ve had elections where I got to celebrate being on the winning team (see: Hillary for NH in the ’08 primary) and those where we weren’t so successful (see: Hillary for NH in the ’16 primary). But no matter what the outcome is, volunteering for GOTV is your ticket to show that you left no stone unturned in the quest to see your issues win. All in is a better place to be, trust me!

So what are you waiting for? If #YoureWithHer, click here to find a volunteer opportunity near you. Or google your favorite candidate’s office and “volunteer”. Down-ballot races determine how your state, county, town lives, and they need your help too.

Make this be the election you GOTV for the first time. I promise, you’ll love it!

I’ve had the time of my life following this election – meeting Hillary a few times on the campaign trail, buying boxes and boxes of political pins to distribute to my friends, having real meaningful conversations with people about why #ImWithHer. And while there’s a lot at stake here – and a very scary man threatening to use his political power for personal retaliation – there’s still some fun to be had in this media circus.

With that in mind, I present this gem – in an alternative universe, these folks might make a good “Dancing with the Stars” team!

We’ve been back from our Icelandic trek for a week and I still look up at the sky as I walk home at night, thinking I might catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

It was the best kind of vacation – time in nature, delicious food, friendly people, and THERMAL POOLS. The bar for relaxation is now set so high that I’m only going to trips that involve cheap and beautiful hot tubs from now on.

I want to tell you everything about the food, our geysir and foss filled road trip, and my definitive ranking of all the thermal baths – and I will by the end of the month! For now, here’s a picture of the city landmark, a church so pronounced you can use it as a compass to navigate your way through the streets: Hallgrímskirkja.

About this time 13 years ago, my mailbox was flooded with wave after wave of college brochures. From near and far, everyone was sending beautiful campus scenes and course options my way.

Among the massive piles of mail was a three page spread from a liberal arts college in Western Mass. It showed women rowing – a team of strong individuals out on the water with the mist rising around them. I kept it while I recycled most of the rest.

Many college visits and applications later, I visited that place. I met those nerds, sat in their classrooms, debated whether Hillary Clinton would run for president and if Harry would defeat Voldemort. And I chose that school for my college education.

This weekend, I went back to Mount Holyoke with one of the best treasures of my time there – my friend Kate (she of Mount Washington hiking fame, loyal readers) – to celebrate the thing that brought us together: 40 years of rowing on the Connecticut River.

Kate coxed our 8 (the O’Malley) and we rowed up and down the river. A flood of memories washed over me. How carrying the boat seemed easier now but stretching my legs right seemed harder. How to lock the oar for the catch and keep good swing in your slide. The commands I know from muscle memory – just like I remembered that one place where your thumb rubs on your outer hand and will DEFINITELY turn into a blister. And how amazing it feels when the boat glides across the choppy water of a New England river.

Fun fact: our coach thought we were the same person for 3 seasons. Wearing matching clothes by accident still doesn’t help.

At night, we celebrated the christening of a new boat – blessed with champagne and river water – in honor of fellow alum and Olympian Mary Mazzio. At the dinner that followed, she told us about how getting through excuses and focusing on herself rather than her competitors made the difference in her success. And she reminded us that pull ups are “money in the bank” and was appalled at how few of us could do them. Sorry Mary!

I feel like I was blessed with river water myself this weekend. It was a beautiful reminder of the best decision I ever made – and all I gained from that charming, powerhouse of a college. And to think… it all started with this poster.

One of the tips for a happy life that I’ve adopted and never looked back from: spend money on experiences, paid for in advance, with the people you love.

With that completely in mind, I broke the bank this Christmas to buy my parents tickets to go to the Newport Folk Festival with me. None of us had ever been, but dad had read about its role in musical history and my coworker Theresa goes every year and raves about it.

After months of anticipation, we finally hit the fest this weekend – and it was everything we wanted it to be and more.

We sat in the sunshine, we rested in the shade, we ate delicious food and shopped at the craft stalls and through it all, enjoyed amazing music. My favorite part: there was a raffle to win a Martin guitar and all you had to do was play a song on a small stage at their booth. Done and done – dad and I started the day by playing a Beatles song and now we can basically retire saying we “played at Newport.” (We didn’t win a guitar but we got free string and I won a t-shirt!).

Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking of checking out the Newport Folk Festival – and you should!!

BEFORE

Buy a parking pass when you buy your tickets. It was about $20 and made parking super easy. Alternatively, you can take a ferry from downtown Newport.

Book your hotel 6+ months in advance. That stuff fills up, no joke! We ended up staying 45 mins away and considered that a success.

Watch the podcasts and playlists as the festival gets nearer. NFF puts together a bunch of great materials, including a Spotify playlist of each artists’ greatest hits so you can figure out who you actually want to see, since the schedules overlap. Also, the app is great for planning and day-of – don’t arrive without it!

Explore the mansions the day before – whether you hit 1 or 5, it’s a great contrast to a day of music and a cool relic of the gilded age.

FESTIVAL DAY

Pack a wide brimmed hat and your own water bottle – there are lots of places to refill and it’s critical to stay hydrated when you’re outside all day. Also wet wipes in case the bathrooms run out of hand sanitizer.

In theory there are rules about chair height. In practice, people brought really nice, normal height chairs. Decide if you want to go low or break the rules, and bring a blanket either way – use it to claim your space at the Fort stage as soon as you get through the gates.

Keep sunscreen on you constantly. There’s very little shade and it’s easy to get burnt, especially if you’re putting water on yourself to cool off!

Arrive early. We pulled into the parking lot at 9:10 (gates open at 10) and were able to breeze through security so we were able to enter as soon as the gates officially opened.

Check out the craft stalls and souvenir stands early – since we went on the last day of the festival, things were getting sold out!

Also check out the actual musical venues early so you know what the options are. The best set we saw was JP Harris, who played for 25 minutes in a small space tucked into the fort! Others rave about the museum stage and the eclectic crowd that passes through there. Know the possibilities even if you end up staying at one place all day.

I would say more about the music – Ian Fitzgerald, Alabama Shakes, the chair massage I got while Glen Hansard was singing – but really, the thrill for me was having a new adventure with my awesome parents. Onward to the next one!

I’m citybound after another refreshing weekend in the county with my dear friend Katey. Our second annual Memorial Day together had more of the same stuff we loved last year, and somehow we packed in additional activities I never thought possible.

We started with a visit to the herd – now 29 goats strong – so I could take a picture with Parcel (so called because her dad is named Postage.)

Much bigger than last year’s goat but still adorable!

Goat mom Katey with her bottle baby, who probably thinks it’s a person.

Among our many adventures of the weekend (and gallons of iced coffee), we hit some plant sales. My favorite way to choose plants is to go entirely by the whimsical names and pay almost no attention to anything else. Hence the batch below (all cherry tomatoes).

We also went to a BBQ and soaked up the last of the day’s rays (and the first of its mosquitoes).

And then for something completely different, we ventured over to Mohegan Sun. $20 lost over 3 hours = not bad! I would have played roulette but the crowds were too big, so I had to “settle” for these gems.

The next day, we braved the 90+ degree temps to visit some flea markets. I still regret not buying this Jeff Gordon figurine but we got a few other good grabs.

We also hit a slightly ritzier craft and antique fair that really made me yearn for Brimfield.

To top it all off – ice cream in a fresh made waffle cone. NOW summer can officially begin!

A few days out of the city, exploring and chatting with my childhood friend, is exactly what I needed to enter June strong. Watch out summer fun – I’m comin’ for ya!